July 23: Letters To the Editor

Monday, July 22, 2013 -- Anonymous (not verified)

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Letters to the Editor

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Justice wasn’t served

To paraphrase Herald columnist Joe Fitzgerald: He thinks justice was done? Please (“Like it or not, this is how justice works,” July 15). “Facts are stubborn things,” as John Adams said. George Zimmerman got out of his car, disobeying a police dispatcher’s instructions. His actions led to a fight with high schooler Trayvon Martin, age 17. Apparently Zimmerman was losing the fight, and he then shot and killed Martin, who was arguably still just a child.

I am not a Trayvon Martin “groupie” as Fitzgerald characterizes protesters, and I take offense even to his wording. My infuriation comes from my “values, beliefs, customs and philosophies,” to use some of his words. When a grown man’s intentional actions lead to a physical altercation with a teen that results in the child’s death, there is something seriously wrong. Regardless of race.

— Michael Haggerty, Dorchester

Church has faltered

The downward spiral of the Catholic Church began with Pope John XXIII and his Vatican Council II (“Divisive popes political gold for Francis,” July 6). In general, any pope after Pius XII is not worthy of sainthood.

— Francis Pelletier, Salem

Digging for answers

When you have a notorious criminal as a relative, you have to expect things like this (“Albert DeSalvo’s kin call dig ‘publicity stunt’,” July 13). I give the police credit for keeping on top of this, along with the murder victim’s family.

While the lawyer for DeSalvo’s family blasted the massive grave-digging operation, authorities hope it will lay to rest doubts about his guilt. Mary Sullivan’s family deserves closure in this case.

— Eric Lundgren, Windham, N.H.

Debate heats up

I agree with the Herald editorial in that climate change activists don’t bring out the uncertainties in predicted “global warming disaster scenarios” (“The divestment ploy,” July 14).

Of course, the uncertainties the Herald refers to involve how climate change will play itself out — not whether it is actually occurring. The weather extremes we’ve seen in recent years send a clear warning signal, and the most reasonable response would be to sharply reduce our carbon pollution. Prominent conservative economists say a carbon tax would be the most effective way of reducing carbon pollution, and that might be a good place to start.

— Jack Thorndike, Jamaica Plain

Mayor misses beat

Rolling Stone magazine didn’t glorify Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Mayor Thomas Menino would have known that if he had bothered to read the article (“Rolling Stone cover opens raw wounds, July 18). The article simply showed that sometimes ordinary people can be monsters inside. Did Menino think that Tsarnaev had “murderer” tattooed on his forehead?